In the world today, more than 200 horse breeds are distinguished, of which 50 are bred in the territory of the countries of the former USSR. Horse breeds are classified according to different indicators, taking this into account, there are 3 leading groups of these animals.
The first group of horses includes breeds bred by human efforts in conditions created specifically for this, the second group includes breeds bred by humans in conditions close to natural, the third group is a set of horse breeds formed by natural and artificial selection in conditions as close as possible to natural.
New and main breeds of horses
Today people are trying to breed new breeds that are intended for tourism, equestrian sports and meat production. The most common are Orlov, Arabian horses, Don breed horses and Frize breeds.
Animals of the Oryol breed belong to the easy-harness type, the analogue of which has not been found to this day. These horses were bred at the end of the 18th century by order of Count Orlov and were the result of crossing several breeds, including: Mecklenburg, Danish, Arab and others. These animals are large, their height at the withers can reach 170 cm, the body length is 161 cm, the chest girth is 180 cm, the metacarpus girth exceeds 20 cm. The average weight of the animal is 520 kg.
The Arabian breed appeared in Europe at the dawn of the 3rd millennium. There are 3 varieties of this breed: Coheilan, Siglavi and Hadban. The first type is massive animals with a rounded shape and pronounced eyes. The second type is horses of small size, the third type is animals with a strong constitution and high working capacity. These horses are unusual in structure - while the rest have 6 vertebrae, this breed has only 5 of them, they have 16 caudal vertebrae, while the rest of the breeds have 18, and there are also one less ribs.
Frieze horses were bred in the 16th century in the Netherlands by crossing Spanish horses with the "cold-blooded" local breed. These animals have a high-set neck with a graceful curve. Bony powerful legs are distinguished by the presence of brushes - this is the peculiarity of the breed, all of its representatives have lush tails and manes. Due to their balanced but energetic character, the friezes are especially suitable for recreational riding.
Don breed horse
These horses were bred in the southeast of Russia from the southern breed. They are independent in temperament, but obedient, they are characterized by loyalty, endurance and calmness. Today, these animals are used as a tractor, in addition, representatives of the breed can also be draft horses, and their obedience does not require constant attention.
